Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-42887

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government how it has been working with NHS boards to reduce A&E waiting times in order to meet the standard for 95% of all patients to be admitted, discharged or transferred within four hours of arrival, in light of recent Public Health Scotland statistics for the month ending 30 November 2025, which state that only 66.7% of A&E attendances met this threshold.

I recognise the significant pressures facing our Emergency Departments. Improving flow and reducing waiting times is central to the NHS Scotland Operational Improvement Plan, which takes an ambitious but realistic approach to shifting the balance of care and ensuring people receive treatment as quickly as possible.

This government are investing over £220 million in 2025-26 to improve hospital flow, reduce delayed discharges and expand community alternatives such as Hospital at Home and front door frailty services.

To support resilience over winter we are investing up to £20 million to increasing social care capacity and easing pressure at the hospital front door. While performance remains below where I want it to be, I remain committed to supporting Boards to deliver safe, timely care.

We are also working with local government colleagues to ensure social care capacity and funding is maximised to allow people to receive the right care in the right place.

Question reference: S6W-42797

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 15 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether issues relating to police officers being unable to retire due to pension buyback or pension scheme interaction issues were discussed at any governance, oversight or management group to which the Police Workforce, Diversity and Inquiry Sponsorship team reports during 2025.

Officials from the Police Workforce, Diversity and Inquiry Sponsorship Unit attend the Scottish Police Pension Scheme Advisory Board (SAB), where a range of issues related to the Police Pension Scheme are discussed.

Minutes from the SAB are available on the Scottish Public Pension Agency website at: https://pensions.gov.scot/police/scheme-governance-and-legislation/scheme-advisory-board and they show that the SAB has not discussed police officers being unable to retire due to pension buyback or pension scheme interaction issues.

Question reference: S6W-42796

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 15 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether issues relating to police officers being unable to retire due to pension buyback or pension scheme interaction issues were discussed by officials within the Police Workforce, Diversity and Inquiry Sponsorship team during 2025.

Question reference: S6W-42795

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 13 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any risks associated with police officers continuing in service after they would otherwise have been entitled to retire, as a result of unresolved pension issues.

The Scottish Government has not carried out any assessments in relation to these matters as the deployment and management of officers, including Human Resources matters, are operational matters for the Chief Constable. Oversight is provided by the Scottish Police Authority rather than by Scottish Ministers directly. These arrangements are in place to ensure the operational independence of Police Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-42798

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 January 2026
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 13 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether its ministers were advised during 2025 that some police officers were unable to retire, despite meeting age or service thresholds, due to pension scheme interaction issues.

The Scottish Government has not been advised that some police officers have been unable to retire due to pension scheme issues.

I am aware of the current administrative pause on buy-back of opted out pensionable service for some police officers impacted by the McCloud Public Service Pensions Remedy. I wrote to the UK Government in February 2025 seeking a resolution through changes to the relevant UK primary legislation, however this was not agreed. I remain confident that a resolution will be found.

Question reference: S6W-42562

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of material relating to Freedom of Information request 202500493769, which states that "a delegation of the Council of Europe's Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhumane or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) has visited prisons in Scotland and picked up on issues around drugs and the impact on prisoners and staff", what specific concerns were raised by the CPT; what actions have been taken in response, and whether it will publish any observations CPT shared with its ministers or officials.

The European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CPT) visited Scotland in June 2025 to review the treatment and conditions of people deprived of liberty in prisons and secure care for minors. The visit assessed progress since inspections in 2018 and 2019 and included checks on police custody facilities, focusing on treatment, detention conditions, and safeguards. The CPT will publish the report in due course, and the Scottish Government will carefully consider its findings.

Question reference: S6W-42456

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent freedom of information correspondence in which Police Scotland states that it does not hold a list of the meetings staff attend, whether it will publish a list of all governance groups, boards and oversight forums that Police Scotland participates in.

Question reference: S6W-42457

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that Police Scotland keeps accurate and accessible records of the governance groups and policy boards it participates in.

Question reference: S6W-42455

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government whether Police Scotland's record-keeping practices, including the absence of a list of governance groups attended, comply with the requirements of the Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011.

The Police and Fire Reform (Scotland) Act 2012 stipulates that the Chief Constable of Police Scotland is responsible for the policing of Scotland and is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority for this, rather than to Scottish Ministers directly.

These arrangements are in place to ensure that the police act independently, free from unwarranted Ministerial interference. Police Scotland’s record keeping is an operational matter for the Chief Constable who is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority for this, rather than to Scottish Ministers directly.

It would therefore be inappropriate for the Scottish Government to comment on operational matters.

Question reference: S6W-42564

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 December 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 January 2026

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-42124 by Angela Constance on 9 December 2025, whether it will provide a breakdown of the specific grounds that led to Scottish Prison Service staff being removed, dismissed, or blocked from taking up employment due to security concerns, including how many cases involved (a) known or suspected links to organised crime, (b) intelligence provided by Police Scotland, (c) corruption or integrity risks, (d) involvement in contraband-related activity and (e) association with serving prisoners, in each of the last three years.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS hold our serving staff and prospective staff to the highest of standards. While the vast majority of our staff adhere to the highest standards of conduct, SPS continue to be vigilant to any potential corruption concerns within our establishments. Maintaining the safety and security of Scotland’s prisons is and remains an absolute priority.

The following table sets out specific grounds that led to Scottish Prison Service staff being removed, dismissed, or blocked from taking up employment due to security concerns, including how many cases involved (a) known or suspected links to organised crime, (b) intelligence provided by Police Scotland, (c) corruption or integrity risks, (d) involvement in contraband-related activity and (e) associations with serving or liberated prisoners’ and (f) other.

Calendar Year	Reason*						Number of SPS Employees as of 31 March
Calendar Year	a	b	c	d	e	f
2022			3		4	1	4589
2023			5		6		4562
2024			6		4		4962

*Category (e) has been amended to ‘associations with serving or liberated prisoners’ and category (f) ‘other’ has been added to match data recording and to provide consistency with PQ: S6W-42124 on 9 December 2025 response.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.